With the interviews today and yesterday, it brought back so much of the excitement for Clemson football and college football, in general, that you always feel with the hiatus. However, it also made me realize some of this excitement was the result of a couple of other factors. One being a new appreciation for the normal or the new normal where we aren’t worried about having a season, which conferences participate, and if we even make it to the game. The other factor was the fresh start for players like D.J., Lyn-J, Pace, and others. While I still believe our jimmy and joes are still way ahead of the rest of the ACC even with this newness, I now don’t take for granted the blowout wins and will just enjoy watching our guys throughout the depth chart get playing time and experience while just getting to play the game.
As for Clemson specific team thoughts, this seems to be an incredibly competitive roster in the sense that so many of the positions have depth and guys that can and will compete for snaps.
DJ will be the guy I hold my breath on when it comes to hard hits and injury. Glad hes 6’4 250 and it sounds like he’s preparing his body better. I was thinking about how key a body like his and Pace’s will be with the new overtime rules where you have to go for 2 after the first OT. Not that I want too many overtime games. I like the idea of a bulldozer at QB a la Tajh Boyd and another one at RB to get those couple of yards. At RB, just impressive competitive depth and we will miss Etienne and his explosiveness, but again excited for these guys to get a shot to make a difference. Shipley and Mafah will push the vets as well. WR and TE I think will be what we grew accustomed to in the past. I’m hopeful for good news on Ross here soon and I read that E.J. was also taking snaps in the slot. With DJ, Pace, Ross, Ngata, Ladson, Ajou, EJ, Galloway, and Davis Allen we will be a BIG team and physically impressive looking getting off the bus and hopefully play equally as impressive. Sounds like the front line OL is pretty set and backup OL is the next focal point. Add Leigh to the mix and hopefully we can rotate those guys better to keep guys fresh for a long season and lower injury risk.
Defensively I’m excited to see the guys come back with a vengeance (Power Rangers esque) but I also wouldn’t mind that dominating D from the 2014 season. XT looks to be in the shape of his life and ready for his money year. I know we’re all pulling for the former 5* that we thought he’d ne when we signed him. KJ hopefully takes the next step in matching hos 5* athleticism with production. His leadership qualities still seem off the charts. Murphy and Foster aren’t just going to give up the starter riole to them though and man what a 1st and 2nd team DE that could be if Foster is in great shape and hitting PRs and Murphy is the quiet assassin ready to strike.
Tyler Davis and Bresee should be a wreckening force in the middle similar to Jarrett/Watson/Williams or Wilkins/Lawerence except for the overall size.Competitive depth seems to be growing and Ruke seems to be advancing and Capehart and Tre Williams would be an awesome combo to come off the bench fresh with their size and explosiveness. At LB, awesome to get the Bruise Brothers for one more year matched with Trenton Simpson being a can do it all player. Would love to see more bentley in games making players pay for having the ball. Will be interested to see where amd how Trotter and Carter get used along with Maguire and Patterson. CB will have less bodies but just as much talent as anybody. This ties into something I really love about this defense is the level of versatility we appear to have with Simpson, Greene, Mukuba, and Carter. Venables seems to love the challenge of creativity and putting guys in the best position to succeed and make the defense confusing and complicated for opposing Os. Hope to see more competitive play at S and Zanders being healthy mixed with Charleston wanting snaps with a vet like turner back there should help.
Crazy to think you can look over this roster and ignore the Bowman, Mike Jones, Pinckney, etc. type of transfers because of the talent we have. We used to play bowl games and know our starting 22 could compete with Bamas or Ohio States 22 but 1-85 they had a decisive advantage and maybe they still do but we have a great roster from 1-85 thats hard not to like.
Still seems like the stalwarts will be who we expect and hope to see come playoff time in Bama, Ohio State, Oklahoma. Hopefully we get past Georgia to open the season but with them trying to plug holes with transfers it’s hard to know what they will look like. Bryce Young will still be surrounded with tons of talent along with CJ Stroud, but Oklahoma will be hoping to avoid the pitfalls with Iowa state and texas on the schedule.
To focus on just the ACC, In the Atlantic I really like Boston College. I really like what jeff hafley is doing. Jurkovec with zay flowers and jaelen gill bring some pop and excitement to an offense that BC fans probably enjoy after addazios ground and pound offense. Losing hunter long and david bailey hurts some but still a stout O. With the Woodbey transfer from FSU and a lot of upper classmen I’d expect the D to be competitive. The weird thing is that last year’s game may have been what gets our guys attention to where we see us bring better effort and game plans and dont get caught offguard despite some of last year’s game being impacted by Trevor and the related covid losses. While I think this BC team is better I think the almost gotcha moment last year will serve us in this year’s game kind of like NC State, Louisville, Syracuse, etc. games of the past where they almost got us or did beat us only to see us come back stronger the next year a play at a much higher level.
Milton will probably help FSU, but I think Dabo has this game circled (though he’d never say it) and their losses on D like Marvin Wilsom, Samuel, and Nasirildeen won’t be fully offset with the transfers the got from UGA in Johnson and UofSC.
I thought highly of Scott Satterfield coming from App State but he seems to have some internal issues with commitment and buy in that holds his teams back.
I kinda hate Dave Doeren with a passion I think due to his punchable face, but they have a lot of returning players and finished a respectable 8-4. They get us early and maybe they try the spear us in the head and take out starters approach like they did with Gallman that one year, but I still think we are a superior team.
I like Dave Clawson, but no real reason to discuss them or Syracuse unless we bring a D or F game.
Coastal wise, I still think less of UNC then so many others. I really appreciate and respect Sam Howell but I think it’s tough to replace talents like Dyami Brown, Dazz Newsome, Javonte Williams, and Michael Carter. That will put a lot of pressure on Howell and even though Ty Chandler, Khafre Brown, Josh Downs, and Beau Corralrz are talented the history, connections, and snaps aren’t there like the other guys.
Even though I’m not sold on the Tar Heels that doesn’t mean they aren’t better than Duke, GT, Virginia, Pitt, or VT. They could win or lose any of those games just like the coastal leaders of past. Miami with a lot of returning players/starters are probably the team that could win enough and beat UNC to make the championahip. Hopefully either that makes it still just gets caught in our championship phase onslaught though.
We get our toughest game right off the bat with no time for nerves. I hate the settling talk that you already hear of well even the loser still has a chance to make the playoffs. I just want to win for so many different reasons. The history with UGA, becuase of it being the SEC, it’s the opener, recruiting impacts, etc. they will have talent galore and some combine all stars, but hopefully the good guys get rewarded with the win since we just had our own disney movie and deserve a Disney ending.
My father-in-law got to experience his senior year at Clemson with our first national championship. He then had to wait until the grandkids for the next shot. However, with one born with the 2015 season, another with the 2018 season, and the latest grandkid with the 2019 season. My wife and I had the 2018 grandkid and thats when we curb stomped Bama in Cali. We made it to the championship with the sister in law kids. Well for those placing bets, we got our second on the way in September and hope he brings us another championship with the 2021 season.
Go tigers!!!!
As for Clemson specific team thoughts, this seems to be an incredibly competitive roster in the sense that so many of the positions have depth and guys that can and will compete for snaps.
DJ will be the guy I hold my breath on when it comes to hard hits and injury. Glad hes 6’4 250 and it sounds like he’s preparing his body better. I was thinking about how key a body like his and Pace’s will be with the new overtime rules where you have to go for 2 after the first OT. Not that I want too many overtime games. I like the idea of a bulldozer at QB a la Tajh Boyd and another one at RB to get those couple of yards. At RB, just impressive competitive depth and we will miss Etienne and his explosiveness, but again excited for these guys to get a shot to make a difference. Shipley and Mafah will push the vets as well. WR and TE I think will be what we grew accustomed to in the past. I’m hopeful for good news on Ross here soon and I read that E.J. was also taking snaps in the slot. With DJ, Pace, Ross, Ngata, Ladson, Ajou, EJ, Galloway, and Davis Allen we will be a BIG team and physically impressive looking getting off the bus and hopefully play equally as impressive. Sounds like the front line OL is pretty set and backup OL is the next focal point. Add Leigh to the mix and hopefully we can rotate those guys better to keep guys fresh for a long season and lower injury risk.
Defensively I’m excited to see the guys come back with a vengeance (Power Rangers esque) but I also wouldn’t mind that dominating D from the 2014 season. XT looks to be in the shape of his life and ready for his money year. I know we’re all pulling for the former 5* that we thought he’d ne when we signed him. KJ hopefully takes the next step in matching hos 5* athleticism with production. His leadership qualities still seem off the charts. Murphy and Foster aren’t just going to give up the starter riole to them though and man what a 1st and 2nd team DE that could be if Foster is in great shape and hitting PRs and Murphy is the quiet assassin ready to strike.
Tyler Davis and Bresee should be a wreckening force in the middle similar to Jarrett/Watson/Williams or Wilkins/Lawerence except for the overall size.Competitive depth seems to be growing and Ruke seems to be advancing and Capehart and Tre Williams would be an awesome combo to come off the bench fresh with their size and explosiveness. At LB, awesome to get the Bruise Brothers for one more year matched with Trenton Simpson being a can do it all player. Would love to see more bentley in games making players pay for having the ball. Will be interested to see where amd how Trotter and Carter get used along with Maguire and Patterson. CB will have less bodies but just as much talent as anybody. This ties into something I really love about this defense is the level of versatility we appear to have with Simpson, Greene, Mukuba, and Carter. Venables seems to love the challenge of creativity and putting guys in the best position to succeed and make the defense confusing and complicated for opposing Os. Hope to see more competitive play at S and Zanders being healthy mixed with Charleston wanting snaps with a vet like turner back there should help.
Crazy to think you can look over this roster and ignore the Bowman, Mike Jones, Pinckney, etc. type of transfers because of the talent we have. We used to play bowl games and know our starting 22 could compete with Bamas or Ohio States 22 but 1-85 they had a decisive advantage and maybe they still do but we have a great roster from 1-85 thats hard not to like.
Still seems like the stalwarts will be who we expect and hope to see come playoff time in Bama, Ohio State, Oklahoma. Hopefully we get past Georgia to open the season but with them trying to plug holes with transfers it’s hard to know what they will look like. Bryce Young will still be surrounded with tons of talent along with CJ Stroud, but Oklahoma will be hoping to avoid the pitfalls with Iowa state and texas on the schedule.
To focus on just the ACC, In the Atlantic I really like Boston College. I really like what jeff hafley is doing. Jurkovec with zay flowers and jaelen gill bring some pop and excitement to an offense that BC fans probably enjoy after addazios ground and pound offense. Losing hunter long and david bailey hurts some but still a stout O. With the Woodbey transfer from FSU and a lot of upper classmen I’d expect the D to be competitive. The weird thing is that last year’s game may have been what gets our guys attention to where we see us bring better effort and game plans and dont get caught offguard despite some of last year’s game being impacted by Trevor and the related covid losses. While I think this BC team is better I think the almost gotcha moment last year will serve us in this year’s game kind of like NC State, Louisville, Syracuse, etc. games of the past where they almost got us or did beat us only to see us come back stronger the next year a play at a much higher level.
Milton will probably help FSU, but I think Dabo has this game circled (though he’d never say it) and their losses on D like Marvin Wilsom, Samuel, and Nasirildeen won’t be fully offset with the transfers the got from UGA in Johnson and UofSC.
I thought highly of Scott Satterfield coming from App State but he seems to have some internal issues with commitment and buy in that holds his teams back.
I kinda hate Dave Doeren with a passion I think due to his punchable face, but they have a lot of returning players and finished a respectable 8-4. They get us early and maybe they try the spear us in the head and take out starters approach like they did with Gallman that one year, but I still think we are a superior team.
I like Dave Clawson, but no real reason to discuss them or Syracuse unless we bring a D or F game.
Coastal wise, I still think less of UNC then so many others. I really appreciate and respect Sam Howell but I think it’s tough to replace talents like Dyami Brown, Dazz Newsome, Javonte Williams, and Michael Carter. That will put a lot of pressure on Howell and even though Ty Chandler, Khafre Brown, Josh Downs, and Beau Corralrz are talented the history, connections, and snaps aren’t there like the other guys.
Even though I’m not sold on the Tar Heels that doesn’t mean they aren’t better than Duke, GT, Virginia, Pitt, or VT. They could win or lose any of those games just like the coastal leaders of past. Miami with a lot of returning players/starters are probably the team that could win enough and beat UNC to make the championahip. Hopefully either that makes it still just gets caught in our championship phase onslaught though.
We get our toughest game right off the bat with no time for nerves. I hate the settling talk that you already hear of well even the loser still has a chance to make the playoffs. I just want to win for so many different reasons. The history with UGA, becuase of it being the SEC, it’s the opener, recruiting impacts, etc. they will have talent galore and some combine all stars, but hopefully the good guys get rewarded with the win since we just had our own disney movie and deserve a Disney ending.
My father-in-law got to experience his senior year at Clemson with our first national championship. He then had to wait until the grandkids for the next shot. However, with one born with the 2015 season, another with the 2018 season, and the latest grandkid with the 2019 season. My wife and I had the 2018 grandkid and thats when we curb stomped Bama in Cali. We made it to the championship with the sister in law kids. Well for those placing bets, we got our second on the way in September and hope he brings us another championship with the 2021 season.
Go tigers!!!!
Last edited:
